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Sept. 10, 1929. w. H. (SDLUM VAPORIZING DEVICE Filed May 10 1928 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Sept. 10, 1929.

UNITE STATES PATENT OFF-ICE.

WILLIAM H. ODLUM, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO DURO METAL PRODUCTSCOMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

VAPORIZING DEVICE.

Application filed May 10,

The present'invention relates to vaporizing devices and is particularlyconcerned with devices adapted tobe used both as a humidifier and as avaporizer for disinfectants, per- "5 fumes, etc. The vaporizer whichforms the subject matter of the present invention is of the general typeemploying an incandescent electric-light bulb as a heating element withor without a periodic switch for lighting the bulb at regular intervals.In the vaporizers of the priqr art, the bulb socket, electric conductorsand periodic switch are usually located in the base of the devicegflviththe bulb projecting upward through a tubular por- 16 tion of thereservoir, and much trouble and inconvenience has been caused by theleaking of the fluid to be vaporized, down into the electric connectionsand coils of the periodic I switch, short circuiting the lamp and coils,with the possibility of blowing fuses and causing other electricaltrouble.

One of the objects of the present invention is the provision of animproved vaporizer structure in which the heating element is supportedin inverted position with the socket,

coils and connections located above the reservoir, thereby avoiding thepossibility of short circuiting electrical connections.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a novel vaporizingdevice which may be employed both as a humidifier and as a vaporizer fordisinfectants, dcodorizing compounds, etc. and in which the electricalcenductors are enclosed and protected from short circuit by the liquidto be vaporized.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improvedvaporizer casing which is adapted to enclose the operating elements ofthe vaporizer and to reflect the radiated heat ofthe lamp toward thefluid to be vaporized, thereby increasing the eliiciency of operation ofthe device.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear more fullyfrom the following description and from the accompanying drawings, inwhich similar characters of ref erence apply to similar parts throughoutthe several views.

Referring to the drawings,- of which there are two sheets,

1928. Serial No. 276,549.

Fig. 1 isan elevational, crosssectional view, with the casing partiallybroken away to show the interior structure of the vaporizer; I

Fig. 2 is an elevational, cross-sectional view, partially broken away,taken on the line 220IFig.l; i

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the socket and periodic switch takenon the line 33 of Fig. 4 is a side elevational view taken from the leftin Fig. 2

Fig. 5 is a bottom plan view of the socket and periodic switch.Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, 10 indicates in its entirety my vaporizercasing which comprises a base 11, a reservoir 12 and a cover 13. Thevase 11 comprises a stamped sheet metal member 0 substantially cupshape, having a flat top 14 and acurled lower edge 15.

The vase is provided with a plurality of apertures 16 one of which-maybe employed for admitting the conductors 17 and 18 through a rubberbushing- 19.

The top 14 of the base is provided with-a 7 centrally located aperture20 adapted to register with a tubular wall or enclosure 21 formed withinthe reservoir 12. The reservoir 12 may also consist of a stamped sheetmetal member havingthe inner tubularwall 21 and an outer substantiallycylindrical wall 22 forming the annular chamber or reservoir--12 for:the fluid to be vaporized.

. The outer cylindrical wall 22 may curve inward as at 23 and downwardas at 24 to unite with a fiat annular bottom 25 of substantially thesame size as the top 14 of the base 11; The reservoir 12 and the base 11may be secured together by a plurality of rivets 26 passing through thetop 14 of the base and the bottom 25 of the reservoir, the rivets beingsoldered within and without the reservoir in order to insure againstleakage.

' The cylindrical wall 22 ofthe reservoir may be bent outward as at 27and formed with a cylindrical portion 28 of slightly larger diameteradapted to receive the cylindrical flange 29 of the cover 13.

The cover 13 may comprise a substantially cup-shaped, stamped sheetmetal member of porcelain having a cylindrical outer wall which isprovided with a plurality of rows of apertures 31 adapted to permit theescape of Vapors from the fluid within the reservoir 12 and the upperportion of the cover may be curved as at 32 and 33 forming asubstantially dome-shaped cover with an ornamental bead 34. Theapertures 31 are-preferably so lo cated that the cover substantiallyconceals thesocket 35 and other mechanism of the vaporizer, but permitsa viewof the bulb 36. which is periodically lighted and extinguished,thereby drawing attentionto the device.

At its lower edge, the cover 13 is formed with a head 37 which isadapted to limitthe inward movement-of the flange 29 within thereservoir 12. 1 i

Carried by the base 11 is a tubular standard 38 which may be secured tothe base bypassing through apertures 39 inbo'th the base and thereservoir, and by being providedon either side of these parts with a nut40. The joint about the nuts 40 may be sealed by soldering both aboveand below the reservoir and the standard 38 is thus adapted to provide aclosed conduit for the conductors 18 and 19 from beneath the base 11 upthrough the reservoir 12.

At its top, the standard 38 is adapted to support a yoke 41 which may beconstructed of cast metal having a bore 42 adapted to receive thetubular standard 38 and having a pair of legs 43 extendinginsubstantially semi-circular form to provide a support for the socket 35.The yoke 42 may be secured to the standard 38 by a pin 44 riveted in theyoke 41 and extending into a slot 45 at the top of the tube. The pin 44effectively prevents rotation between the'yoke and the stand- 5 ard andprevents the yoke from sliding down upon a standard, but it also permitsthe socket to be lifted from the standard 38 when necessary for thepurpose of repairs or otherwise.

The socket 35' comprises a cylindrical body or other insulating materialformed with an integral insulating base 46 having outwardly projectinglugs 47, 48, 49 and 50 for the purpose of supporting electricalconnectors and other parts. The socket is provided with the usualcentral bore 51 which is adapted to receive a pressed sheet metal member52 formed with screw threads and adapted to recei'vethe threaded base ofthe bulb 36.

The threaded member '52 is provided with a pair of inwardly extendingannular flanges 53 which are in electrical contact with legs 54 of thesubstantially semi-circular metal plate 55; The body of the socket-35 isprovided with an aperture 56 and the metal plate 55 is provided withanoutwardly extending arm 57 having a threaded aperture adapted to receivea screw bolt 58 and having an upwardly extending lip 59 forming anelectrical connector, to which one of the conductors 17 may be secured.

The base 46 of the socket body is also provided with a centrally locatedbore 60 which is counter-sunk as at 61 to receive the head and stem of ascrew bolt 62 which is adapted to project into the interior'of thesocket forming a central contact member and securing a bi-metallicthermal strip 63 by means a nut 64. a

The bi-metallic strip ,63 comprises a pair 0 sheets of metal havingdifferent co-efiicients of linear expansion, such as steel and brass,and secured together by means of the bolt 62 and the contact"65"rivetedtherein. The bimetallic strip is covered with a layer of head resistiveinsulating material upon which 'are wound a plurality} of coils 66 ofresistance wire, one end of the resistance wire being connected tothecenter contact bolt 62 and the other end being connected'by a pigtail67 to a contact bridge 68. The contact bridge68comprises ashort strip ofsheet metal bent to's'ubstantially U- shape and having outwardlyextending feet 1 69, one of which is employed for securing the bridge tothe socket body'4'6 by means of a screw bolt '70, and the other ot whichis employed as an electrical connector by means of the screw bolt71threaded therein. The connectors 6971 are secured to the other conductor18 and the contact bridge 68 isprovided with a threaded aperture adaptedto receive a threaded screw bolt 72 directly opposite the contact65.upon the bi-metal-lic element.

I The screw bolt 72 is provided with a lock nut 73 for retaining thecontact in adjusted position.

The electrical circuits for my vaporizing r device may then be traced asfollows. Both the supply conductors 17 and 18 are'brought in at therubber bushing 19 in the base 11, passing upward through. the tubularstandard 38 where the braided covering is split and the wires 17 and 18are secured to the connectors 58 and 71 respectively.

From the connector 58 one of the supply conductors is in communicationwith the threaded portion 52 of the socket by means of the metal plate55 and the circuit continues through the filament of the bulb 36 down tothe center contact 62. The center contact '62 is connected with one endof the heater coil 66 and the opposite end of the heater coil 66 isconnected to the contact bridge 68 which is connected with the contact71 and the other supply conductor 18.

It will thus be observed that the heating coils 66 are connected inseries with the lamp and the coils and lamp will be energized at alltimes. However, the resistance of the coils is such that the currentpassing through the circuit just described will not besullicient to heatthe lamp to incandescence, and the lamp will not emit any light duringsuch connection.

It will also be observed that the bi-metallic strip 63 is connected tothe center contact 62 and when this strip has been heated by means ofthe heater coil 66, it Will be bent in such manner as to close thecontacts 72 and 65, thus establishing a connection which will shortcircuit the coil 66 and permit the full voltage to be impressed upon thelamp 36. The lamp will then be lighted but due to the short circuitingof the coils 66, practically no current will flow through the heatercoils and the bimetallic strip will cool until it resumes the positionshown in Fig. 3, again breaking the contact at 65, 72, after which theforegoing cycle of operations will be repeated.

The projecting lugs 47 and 49 upon the porcelain body 46 are providedwith apertures 74 adapted to receive screw bolts 75 which pass through acover plate 76 and through the legs 43 of yoke 41. The porcelain bod isthen secured to the yoke 41 by means the nuts 77 with the open end ofthe socket extending downward to support the bulb 36 within theenclosure 21 of the reservoir. The bulb is preferably supported out ofcontact with the walls of the reservoir, in order that heat may beconducted uniformly from all parts of the bulb, and although any type ofbulb may be employed, an elongated cylindrical bulb of the type shown ispreferred.

The inner wall 21 of the reservoir surrounding the bulb 36 also carriesa perforated sheet metal member 78 of substantially cylindrical form andadapted to provide a support for a wick 79 comprising a strip of highlyabsorbent thick cotton fabric having its ends sewed together to form atubular member fitting about the frame 78.

The operation of my vaporizer is as follows. The liquid to be vaporizedis placed in the annular reservoir 12 where it covers the lower end ofthe wick 79 which surrounds the bulb 36. When the conductors 1718 areconnected to a source of electromotive force, the lamp 36 is alternatelylighted and extinguished as previously described, and the relative timeduring which the lamp remains lit may be determined by the adjustment ofthe set screw 72. The liquid will then be drawn up in the wick 79 bymeans of capillary attraction and the liquid in the wick will beevaporated by heat radiated from the lamp 36. The cover 32 permits thevapors to pass out through the apertures 31, but substantially concealsthe mechanism of the socket and is adapted to reflect radiated heattoward the liquid to be vaporized.

The periodic switch and electrical connections being located at theuppermost portion of the vaporizer and the conductors being protected bythe tubular standard 38, the danger of short circuit is minimized and myvaporizer is capable of long and continuous use without any necessityfor alteration or repair.

While I have illustrated a preferred embodiment of my invention, manymodifications may be made without departing from the spirit of theinvention, and I do not wish to be limited to the precise details ofconstruction set forth, but desire to avail myself of all changes withinthe scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. In a vaporizer, the combination of a supporting base with an annularreservoir carried thereby, a hollow standard in said reservoir, a lampsocket carried by said standard, and an electric bulb depending fromsaid socket into a well in said reservoir.

2. In a vaporizer, the combination of a supporting base with an annularreservoir carried thereby, a hollow standard in said reservoir, a lampsocket carried by said standard, an electric bulb depending from saidsocket into a well in said reservoir, and electric conductors connectedto said socket and located in said standard.

3. In a vaporizer, the combination of a supporting base with an annularreservoir carried thereby, a hollow standard in said reservoir, a lampsocket carried by said standard, an electric bulb depending from saidsocket into a well in said reservoir, and a perforated cover carried bysaid reservoir about said socket.

4. In a humidifier, the combination of a base with an annular reservoircarried by said base, a cover for said reservoir, said cover having aplurality of perforations, a tubular member carried by said base in saidreservoir, an electric light socket carried by said tubular member, anelectric heating element in said socket, and electrical conductorsleading to said socket through said tubular member.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 4th day of May,1928.

WILLIAM H. ODLUM.

